In the design of LED carrier systems, the light yield, lifetime and thermal management are assuming an increasingly important role. Apart from the functional demands, there are also thermomechanical and geometrical problems to solve. Especially in the case of mobile applications, for example, an integrated LED camera flash in smartphones or digital cameras, the LED and the carrier are to require as little space as possible and the smallest possible overall height.
A further requirement for a carrier for an LED is that the upper side is as far as possible free from other components, in order to avoid shielding of the light emitted by the LED.
For thermal management, it is intended that between the LED, the carrier and the carrier surface there is a thermal contact that is as good as possible.
The carrier is additionally intended to have a device for protection from electrostatic discharges (ESD), since LEDs are very sensitive to such discharges. In the case of the known carriers for LEDs, corresponding protective components are therefore provided as discrete devices on the upper side of the carrier. This may however be disadvantageous both with regard to the overall height and space requirement of the carrier and with regard to the radiation characteristics of an LED mounted on the carrier.
Furthermore, a carrier for LEDs should be designed such that, when the carrier is soldered on a printed circuit board, the connection between the LED and the carrier does not melt and an alignment of the LED is not changed.